Wearing a jewelry ring is not only prevalent today, but has been in vogue throughout history. People wear jewelry rings for various reasons, including for purposes of fashion, displaying marital or relationship status, or associations with groups or institutions.
Inadvertent loss of valuable jewelry is a chronic problem. Jewelry rings are removed for many reasons. The ring may irritate the wearer's finger after prolonged use; the wearer may need to wash their hands; the wearer's finger may swell temporarily (making resizing the jewelry ring impractical); or the wearer may remove the jewelry ring for participation in sports or occupational activities where retaining the jewelry ring on the wearer's finger is dangerous. Often, jewelry rings are lost when the wearer deliberately removes the jewelry ring and then puts it down, later forgetting where the jewelry ring was placed.
Jewelry rings may be dislodged inadvertently. Jewelry rings can be lost through lubrication by soap and water, where the jewelry ring then slips from the wearer's finger. Jewelry rings may also be lost by dislodging the jewelry ring from prior art wearable storage devices that contain clasps or other retaining means that fail.
Alternatively, there are persons who may not want to or cannot wear a ring, and who wish to display a ring using the necklace rather than wearing it on a finger.
However, removal and storage of a jewelry ring during the day may be impractical, or even impossible. Removal may require the wearer to anticipate situations where wearing the jewelry ring is not practical or is unsafe. Often the wearer may not be able to anticipate when the jewelry ring should be removed. Or, if removal can be anticipated, the wearer may not be able to place the jewelry ring in fixed secure storage such as a jewelry box or stationary jewelry ring holder at home. Alternatively, the jewelry ring wearer may anticipate the need to remove the jewelry ring, but choose to wear it anyway because the wearer does not having a reliable way to secure the jewelry ring during the time that it needs to be removed.
Existing wearable jewelry ring holders affixed to chains or necklaces require that the wearer first remove the chain or other device for holding the jewelry ring in order to secure the jewelry ring. Removal of existing holders is accomplished by lifting the chain or necklace over the wearer's head or by undoing a clasp on the chain. However, lifting the chain over the wearer's head can be difficult or bothersome, especially where removal would mar the wearer's clothing or hairstyle. Undoing an existing necklace or chain clasp may also be difficult for some wearers, such as those suffering from arthritis or similar conditions that make manipulation of tiny objects difficult. Similarly, operating an existing necklace or chain clasp may be undesirable for a wearer who does not wish to destroy manicured nails.
Aside from difficulties with the chain or necklace, prior art wearable jewelry ring holders often utilize clasps or other securing mechanisms that are susceptible to failure, causing the loss of the jewelry ring. Prior art wearable jewelry ring holders are also flawed because they require that the ring jut out from the wearers chest. Thus, the ring may be secured around the wearer's neck, but protruding from the wearer at an extreme angle. In some instances, the ring extending out from the wearer may be dangerous to the wearer, or may cause damage to the ring being worn.
Accordingly, a need exists for a necklace that permits the wearer to attach or remove a ring quickly and easily to a chain that can be in place already around his or her neck or wrist, without having to remove the chain at all. There further exists a need for a wearable jewelry ring holder that allows the ring to lay flat or substantially flat against the wearer's body while being worn.
The improved wearable jewelry ring storage device of the present invention is desirable to avoid the problems with prior art devices, while providing jewelry ring wearers with a wearable device and method to prevent inadvertent jewelry ring loss.